Inkjet printing systems and solid inks are known in the art. However, while known solid ink compositions are used successfully, a need remains for improved solid ink compositions capable of being used to develop higher quality images at lower cost and using more environmentally-friendly materials.
Printer inks have been developed to satisfy a need for jetting solid ink at low temperatures, such as about 110° C. Jetting at low temperatures reduces energy consumption, permits use of less expensive print heads, improves color stability, reduces wear on printers, and enables instant on modes and quick recovery standby modes.
Wax accounts for about 50 percent by weight of most commercial solid inks and dictates much of the ink's performance and cost. Due to its narrow molecular weight distribution, a specially distilled polyethylene wax has generally been used in solid inks to enable jetting at low temperatures. However, the distilled polyethylene wax is relatively expensive because the distillation process involves cutting off both high and low molecular weight (MW) portions of the wax. Furthermore, polyethylene wax is derived from fossil oil, which is not a renewable material.
Hence, there is a need for wax alternatives that cost less and are made from renewable resources such as plants or animals.